Taking probiotic supplements could help you shed pounds from your waistline, a new study suggests.
Norwegian researchers discovered consuming the yoghurt drinks daily may lead to 1.3lbs (0.6kg) weight loss after just three weeks.
It backs up an array of evidence which has shown probiotics, which are becoming increasingly trendy, can help obese adults to beat the bulge.
Full of live bacteria, it is believed the products correct an imbalance in the gut that leads to the body extracting calories and turning them into fat.
The findings, made by scientists based at the Vestfold Hospital Trust in Tønsberg, involved 15 previous studies on probiotics and weight loss.
It used data from 957 obese adults, who saw benefits in reducing their body weight after taking the supplements for between three and 12 weeks.
As well as the benefits on body weight, the researchers noted a small effect on BMI – a measure of body fat using weight and height.
Published in the journal Obesity Reviews, they discovered that a three-week course of probiotics can lead to a 0.27kg/m² loss in BMI.
And a slight difference on fat percentage was also noted, according to the team of scientists, led by Dr Heidi Borgeraas.
They found a 0.6 per cent reduction in fat percentage for those who had took the probiotics compared to a placebo.
Writing in the journal, they said: ‘Our meta-analysis showed that short-term probiotic supplementation reduced body weight, BMI, and fat percentage.’
However, they added the effects were ‘small’ and that more research is desperately needed to confirm the initial findings.
Probiotics, which work on the premise of replacing the ‘bad’ with ‘good’ bacteria, have been heavily scrutinised in recent years.
Studies have backed up the notion they are ‘perishable’ bacteria. Heat and stomach acid can kill them, rendering them ineffective before they’ve even been digested.
Despite the concerns by microbiologists, the global probiotics market looks set to exceed $63 billion (£47bn) in the next five years.
Diets high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods wreak havoc on the microbiome, and wipe out beneficial bacteria.
Without the friendly bugs, certain bacteria, such as Firmicutes, extract more calories from foods we do eat – which leads to weight gain.
Research has linked our gut health to a range of conditions including depression, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
